The Crocker Mountain Range dominates western Sabah and culminates in Mt Kinabalu at its northern tip. At 4,095 metres Mt Kinabalu is the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea and provides exhilarating but non-technical mountaineering. At its base, the Kinabalu National Park is one of the world’s most biodiverse reserves, with over 5000 species of plants, 300 species of birds and a wide variety of reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. Its diverse habitats range from lowland rainforest through deciduous oak and chestnut to sub-alpine montane forests.
A short drive away are the hot springs of Poring which offer a canopy platform, waterfalls, rainforest walks and good chances of finding Rafflesia species, the world’s largest flower with some blooms measuring over one metre in diameter. These can also be seen at the nearby Rafflesia Forest Reserve. To the far south, there is a spectacular rail journey from Tenom to Beaufort following the Padas River, which also affords good white-water rafting.
